Wednesday, May 31, 2017

This was on the section which linked Oxford at the end of a branch from the Main North Line and Sheffield (on the Midland Line) in Canterbury, but was one of the first lines to be closed, in the early 1930s.

Perhaps the reference to second class was intended to dispel a perception that you needed to be well-off to afford a berth as distinct from a seat. Although an SNCF poster, that was only mentioned in the small print.

Egyptian officials announced on Friday that the Armed Forces carried out six airstrikes on terrorist locations in Libya, reported AFP and local media.

The airstrikes, which reportedly struck positions in the Libyan city of Derna appeared to be confirmed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in a speech addressing the nation following the killing of 28 Coptic Christians by ISIS affiliates in the Egyptian city of Minya.

In his speech, Al-Sisi made multiple references to Libya and the threat ISIS and other terror organisations operating in the country poses to Egypt.

The Egyptian President said that in the last year, more than 1,000 vehicles used by terrorists to cross the border into Egypt had been destroyed. The President stressed that the aim of these groups is to bring Egypt down and that these groups believe that if Egypt falls, so too will the rest of the world.

At the end of his speech, the Egyptian President said that a strike had occurred, without stating where.

“There has been a strike and we won’t hesitate to carry out other strikes,” declared Sisi, who earlier said Egypt would strike terrorists wherever they are.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

"The Callander and Oban Railway company was built with the intention of linking the sea port of Oban to the railway network. This involved a long line from Callander through wild and thinly populated terrain, and shortage of money meant that the line was opened in stages from 1866 to 1880.

"The line improved the economy of Oban, especially for the fishing trade and for tourism, but the winter traffic was limited. The company built a branch to Ballachulish, which included the construction of Connel Bridge, a remarkable bridge at Connel over Loch Etive. The branch opened in 1903, but although it opened up remote areas it was never commercially successful. It closed in 1966."

Britain has been overdue for such attacks and no-one should be surprised.

The suicide bomber responsible for the worst UK terror attack since the 7/7 atrocity 12 years ago was a British-born jihadi from a family of Libyan refugees, it emerged last night.Salman Abedi, 22, was known to the security services before he walked into Manchester Arena on Monday night and detonated a bomb packed with nails, nuts and bolts, killing 22 people including children as young as eight.There were claims that Abedi may have spent time in a Middle East conflict zone, where he may have received terrorist training, while it was also said he had only recently returned from a three-week trip to Libya days before the bombing. Read more

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All at Sea: stories of New Zealand seafarers

Narratives from interviews conducted over several years with 16 merchant navy sailors - 14 men and 2 women - who recounted their stories from the last full fledged sailing ship, the Pamir being returned to her home country of Finland after WWII to recent stories on today's inter-island ferries and coastal vessels, as well as international cargo and passenger ships which sailed to various parts of the globe. A full range of occupations are covered from Deck Boy, Engineer, Steward to Master as well as harbour pilots, union leaders and shipping company executives.

NZR Memorabilia

A fabulous new book containing many colourful illustrations of old postcards, pamphlets, posters, and a wide range of objects that have been used by the NZR and its personnel from the 1860s to the present time. Together they tell in visual form the importance of NZR to NZ and its people over the past 150 years and provides a useful reference for collectors.

Voyage to Gallipoli

Details of the troopships to the Gallipoli campaign of WW1 and more WW1 naval history.